Press Releases November 13, 2019

Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects to Expand into North America in Partnership with Perkins&Will

The global architectural firm, deeply rooted in Danish design traditions, will open studios in New York and San Francisco alongside North America’s strongest architectural practice

Monroe Blocks

Detroit, Michigan

NEW YORK and SAN FRANCISCO— Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects, one of Scandinavia’s most recognized design firms, will open a bi-coastal practice in the U.S. in early 2020, bringing Danish design within closer reach of clients in North America. With the addition of the new North American studios, Schmidt Hammer Lassen will be represented in Copenhagen, Shanghai, New York, and San Francisco. The firm will work out of Perkins&Will studios in New York and San Francisco, allowing the Schmidt Hammer Lassen teams to enhance their engagement with clients in North America, establish a permanent local presence, and become more closely integrated with their American and Canadian colleagues.

“The demand for Scandinavian design in the U.S. and Canada is stronger than it’s ever been before. By bringing our Danish colleagues to North America, we’re able to respond to our clients in a way that no other firm can,” says Phil Harrison, CEO of Perkins&Will.

Monroe Blocks

Detroit, Michigan

A natural move

The expansion is Schmidt Hammer Lassen’s next step toward realizing its strategic growth strategy since becoming part of Perkins&Will in 2018. Although the firm’s designers have been working in North America for more than a decade, the launch of a more permanent physical presence here allows Schmidt Hammer Lassen to be even more nimble.

“We have several large-scale projects in progress across the United States and Canada, so it is an excellent time for a North American expansion,” says Sanne Wall-Gremstrup, managing director of Schmidt Hammer Lassen. “We’ll be closer to our current clients in Detroit, Boston, San Francisco, and across Canada, and better positioned to engage with new clients throughout the continent.”

Coast-to-coast coverage

New York and San Francisco were selected as North American home bases for Schmidt Hammer Lassen because of their convenient access to clients and projects, including the masterplan for UCSF Parnassus Medical Center in San Francisco, a joint project with Perkins&Will; Monroe Blocks, downtown Detroit’s most significant mixed-use development in decades; and the Seaport World Trade Center, a prominent 737,300-square-foot mixed-use project in Boston.

“The importance of collaborating with our clients —those who give us the opportunity to design some of the world’s most meaningful projects—goes without saying. But the earlier and more closely we can work together, the better,” says Kristian Lars Ahlmark, partner and design director at Schmidt Hammer Lassen. “This North American expansion gives us the opportunity to employ our collaborative approach in the U.S. and Canada with more enthusiasm than ever.”

Halifax Central Library

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Halifax Central Library

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Halifax Central Library

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects to Expand into North America in Partnership with Perkins&Will

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